tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3005110763093966362024-03-05T04:29:43.088-06:00Political Tracks -- a View from the SouthsideSome things I know, some things I don't.bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-40824798947274194842018-09-18T07:56:00.001-05:002018-09-18T07:57:18.601-05:00Two Memories are Not Necessarily Equal<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
the one thing about living in the d.c. media market is that you get all the television ads aimed at congress. right now, it's all kavanaugh all the time.</div>
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the newest judicial crisis network ad -- the group that actually knows how to get what it wants on the bench -- is telling us that kavanaugh is "brilliant." but i wonder.</div>
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there is no way that kavanaugh and ford have the same memories about this. they did not go to the same schools. kavanaugh went to an elite boys school that has a culture of privilege and entitlement. he was 17 and she was 15. he may never have even known her name. i seriously doubt he can remember a single name of the women who rejected him romantically or sexually throughout his life.</div>
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but this event, as described by the victim, was an abuse of power. abuse of power borne from a culture of privilege and entitlement.</div>
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for ford, this event was consequential. it affected her life in ways both understood and mysterious.</div>
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for kavanaugh, this event was part of the norm. drunken debauchery was (and remains) a rite of passage for georgetown prep. study hard and play hard. why would he remember it?</div>
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the fact that he can claim that it did not happen not only exposes an arrogance, but a complete lack of empathy for the lessons of the <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"type":104,"tn":"*N"}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/metoo?source=feed_text&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDBPnhWgvcatB9c8dI-OcG_5_IzFvAE2FjygdViuD3U67OtUjFgpeypwjhK-z9xf07JUKkIXeeCknP4cGYljZgqmLhMzBFCb8WleMTpbZvsn-E44OsXhBVxiph_4jFS65qFlwQ9CpMyTZGaCIyZfGgRVkhHN_j2kjj5Bi8OuY5SrO3SI7SS11Q&__tn__=%2ANK-R" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="_5afx" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl _5afz" style="font-family: inherit; unicode-bidi: isolate;">#</span><span class="_58cm" style="font-family: inherit;">metoo</span></span></a>age. instead of doing what normal men have been doing -- asking themselves if they've ever been in a position where they took advantage of the women in which they have crossed paths -- kavanaugh has leaned on that culture of privilege and entitlement and ne'er given it a second thought.</div>
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which signals that he would be a horrific supreme court justice. he is lying to himself (for me, the worst of all lies). instead of being able to rise above a situation and give it an "independent look" (another one of the claims in the jcn ads), he demonstrates a profound bias towards that culture of privilege and entitlement.</div>
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ford's memory should be given preference because it lived in the absence of this profound bias. kavanuagh's memory should be completely discounted. kavanaugh is not brilliant, he was sculpted. he has demonstrated no evidence of independent thought. rather, he represents a reprehensible past that we need to get away from...</div>
bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-32843261733271284862018-08-29T09:51:00.001-05:002018-08-29T09:51:12.767-05:00bots included...<br /><br />https://www.political-atlas.com/bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-10856434147258912212017-10-10T14:31:00.000-05:002017-10-10T14:51:08.850-05:00If Maria Response was like Hurricane Andrew ResponseAfter Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, FEMA "<a href="http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a276444.pdf">awaited requests from the State of Florida</a>. Unfortunately, the damage was so tremendous that State officials were unable to comprehend the damage and the needs of people in the disaster area. They couldn't ask for what they didn't know they needed."<br />
<br />
Puerto Rico was in much the same situation after Hurricane Maria. But instead of learning the lessons from Hurricane Andrew (something that might have happened had FEMA been led by a more senior person with some connection to this administration), Trump drove the country to distraction.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_Jc7Cpxuh2sXKdtCS61TCCJ16mscY_04oGZztkw4Pr7LFkvo8KP4An4EMhXBpSt6kdZWO2hFmDFjEKGXDzs1CYUOsF-WtwwRNSky47pDSqFZKSnVJ8-yFfHWUnc0QOlJtTSsbK0iv8M/s1600/la-1506052030-a0um7piai3-snap-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="550" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_Jc7Cpxuh2sXKdtCS61TCCJ16mscY_04oGZztkw4Pr7LFkvo8KP4An4EMhXBpSt6kdZWO2hFmDFjEKGXDzs1CYUOsF-WtwwRNSky47pDSqFZKSnVJ8-yFfHWUnc0QOlJtTSsbK0iv8M/s320/la-1506052030-a0um7piai3-snap-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-09/u-s-fema-head-says-puerto-rican-politics-slowed-storm-response" target="_blank">Almost three weeks after Maria struck Puerto Rico</a>, just 15 percent of the island’s electricity customers have power, according to numbers posted on a website run by the government of Puerto Rico. Half the island lacks phone service, and about 40 percent of households lack access to potable water.</blockquote>
Hurricane Andrew destroyed <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">65,000 homes, knocked out water, electricity and phones, and filled roads with heavy debris</a>. The devastation caused by Andrew prompted a full federal response. By contrast, Hurricane Maria -- coming on the heals of Hurricane Irma -- caused "total destruction." Even <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-puerto-rico-hurricane-20170921-story.html" target="_blank">Trump described Puerto Rico as “absolutely obliterated.”</a><br />
<br />
What would be happening now if the Trump Administration responded with the same kind of effort that the first President Bush employed after Hurricane Andrew:<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>If Andrew is used as a guide, more than 845,000 homes in Puerto Rico could be totally destroyed. Of course, it could be more.</li>
<li>The president would have had a Defense Coordinating Officer assigned before the storm hit landfall. A Joint Task Force would have been created for interoperations between services. A Presidential Task Force would have been appointed when the extent of the crisis in response became evident.</li>
<li>Military Areas of Operations would be assigned, and local assistance requests would have been coordinated through those (instead of using twitter).</li>
<li>Instead of the 3 medical units (44th Medical Brigade and the medical units assigned to the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Division) mobilized for Andrew, Puerto Rico would be assigned 39 military medical units.</li>
</ul>
<div>
During Andrew recovery efforts, military engineers filled the gap until contractors, NGO relief organizations and local communities could mobilize to continue disaster recovery. Instead of the <a href="https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2017/09/26/federal-agency-update-hurricane-maria-response-and-relief-operations" target="_blank">750 USACE personnel assigned to Puerto Rico</a>, the US Army Corps of Engineers <a href="http://www.iaff.org/HS/disasterrelief/resources/JointTaskForce.pdf">utilized</a> 2,500 of USACE and 841st Engineering Battalion personnel, 600 Army employees and 4,000 contractor personnel to remove debris at the start of recovery efforts. If Andrew is used as a guide, 32,500 USACE and Army Reserve engineers would be assigned to Puerto Rico by now. Another 7,800 Army employees would be sent and 52,000 contractor employees would have arrived in Puerto Rico. 2860 dump trucks and 715 bucket loaders would be sent. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Instead of the "s<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/09/22/hurricane-maria-response-and-relief-operations-underway" target="_blank">ix U.S. Navy helicopters and three U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey</a> aircraft launched from the USS Kearsarge Amphibious Readiness Group," Joint Task Force Andrew utilized <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">120 DoD helicopters.</a> Another <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">1,014 USAF sorties were flown</a> during Andrew recovery efforts.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In Puerto Rico, with 3.4 MILLION people affected, FEMA sent more than <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/09/22/hurricane-maria-response-and-relief-operations-underway" target="_blank">1.3 million meals</a>, whereas <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">1 million MREs were delivered</a> for the 250,000 people left without homes after Hurricane Andrew.<br />
<br />
No one should be bragging about disaster recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. A competent administration would be trying to figure out how to respond adequately to the mess left in the wake of Hurricane Maria...</div>
</div>
bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-17614550805242038912017-10-10T00:31:00.003-05:002017-10-10T12:38:44.386-05:00Are We Now Just Letting People Die?Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20, destroying the electricity grid and leaving many of its 3.4 million people desperate for food, water and gasoline. Since then, the American people have watched as the Trump Administration has fumbled its responsibilities in the worst disaster recovery response since the Federal Emergency Administration was created.<br />
<br />
The incompetence of Donald Trump and the people in his administration has been made public, for all the world to see.<br />
<br />
Three weeks after the storm, this administration is bragging about "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-%20%20politics/wp/2017/10/05/fema-removes-statistics-about-drinking-water-%20%20access-and-electricity-in-puerto-rico-from-website/" target="_blank">14,000 federal workers on the ground in Puerto Rico,</a>" while continuing to bemoan how "<a href="http://time.com/4964574/hurricane-maria-fema-brock-long-%20puerto-rico-logistics/" target="_blank">logistically challenging</a>" it is for them.<br />
<br />
Incompetence always has an excuse. And we have all learned that Donald Trump is the king of excuses!<br />
<br />
In 1992, I was one of tens of thousands of people involved in the Hurricane Andrew recovery effort. While there were legitimate criticisms of the Bush Administration's response at the time, it was magnitudes better than how this administration has chosen to respond.<br />
<br />
Within FIVE DAYS the federal government and neighboring states had mobilized 20,000 National Guard and active duty troops to South Dade County. By this time in the Hurricane Recovery efforts, more than 20,000 troops -- primarily comprised of the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions -- joined more than 6,000 National Guards troops in the recovery efforts to help with the 250,000 people left homeless in the affected areas. They joined another 1000 FEMA personnel, mostly temporary adjustors, in the effected area.<br />
<br />
Let that sink in. Three weeks out from landfall of Hurricane Andrew, there were more than 26,200 guard and active duty troops in South Florida, and another 1000 federal employees, to help the 250,000 people left homeless. In total, "<a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">30,074 DoD and National Guard personnel were deployed to disaster locations in Florida.</a>"<br />
<br />
That's one federal responder for every 8 people affected.<br />
<br />
By contrast, Trump and his sycophants are bragging about one federal responder for every 243 people affected. They are calling this "a good news story."<br />
<br />
Trump apologists keep trying to blame Puerto Rico for its incompetence. Yet under the 1988 Stafford Act (The law’s full title is the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, P.L. 93-288), the federal government is supposed to get involved in disasters only if they are of “such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments.” The Congressional Research Service describes it this way:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<block>Only after both local and state/tribal government resources have been overwhelmed, and the governor of the state has requested assistance, does the federal government begin to “supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering.</block></blockquote>
I doubt any honest person could argue that Puerto Rico does not meet that standard.<br />
<br />
As a liaison between military efforts and the 40,000 out-of-area volunteers on the ground, there was a concerted effort to utilize all the resources made available for recovery efforts each and every day for months. But the military did a lot of the heavy lifting. Not only were there 30,074 military personnel, but "<a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">DoD provided much of the food, water, sheltering, transportation and medical care, even though the Federal Response Plan assigns those responsibilities to other agencies.</a>"<br />
<br />
Why isn't Puerto Rico getting the same level of support? Granted, there is a much, much greater need, but Puerto Rico isn't even getting Hurricane Andrew level of support at this moment (and it's been 3 weeks). "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fema-administrator-puerto-%20%20ricos-politics-lack-of-unity-hindering-hurricane-%20%20response/2017/10/09/f1711996-ad10-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html" target="_blank">Reporters on the ground in Puerto Rico have heard repeatedly that there was little sign of the government, or none at all, in the days after the storm hit the island.</a>" Three weeks after Maria struck, "<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-09/u-s-fema-head-%20%20says-puerto-rican-politics-slowed-storm-response" target="_blank">just 15 percent of the island’s electricity customers have power.</a>"<br />
<br />
Moreover, the more than 70,000 people on the ground in South Florida were supplemented by Naval and Marine personnel who were stationed in ports close to the damaged areas. Helicopters from the USS Sylvania delivered large amounts of food inland, making up most of the <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">850,000 meals delivered by military forces</a> to victims of the hurricane. Several Navy repair ships, with crews up to 1,000, used their engineering capability (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.), and crews to <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">re-roof and repair 43 South Florida schools</a>. <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">The Marine Corps built two 2,500-person Life Support Center tent towns for displaced civilians</a>.<br />
<br />
We have heard of nothing similar in Puerto Rico. The Navy has two amphibious ships off the coast of Puerto Rico (the USS Kearsarge and the USS Oak Hill), but it took public pressure from the Clintons to send the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/09/26/clinton-pressured-trump-to-deploy-hospital-ship-comfort-to-puerto-rico-now-its-on-the-way/" target="_blank">hospital ship USNS Comfort</a>. What is clear is that the Trump Administration is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-pressure-cooker-trumps-frustration-and-fury-rupture-alliances-threaten-agenda/2017/10/09/41115744-ad0d-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html" target="_blank">much more interested in taking credit</a> for the relatively minor efforts to address the great needs of Puerto Rico after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.<br />
<br />
America First seems like nothing more than an empty slogan as the Americans in Puerto Rico seem to be the last people this Administration intends to help. Puerto Rico can't even <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article175955031.html" target="_blank">account for all its dead</a> because the island is trying to care for the living. On an island of 3.4 million Americans, the Trump Administration wants to be hailed for <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article175778236.html" target="_blank">providing 3,000 meals and 4,500 liters of water</a> a day. The Bush Administration was serving <a href="https://archive.org/stream/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned/502356-hurricane-andrew-lessons-learned_djvu.txt" target="_blank">35,000 meals a day</a> for less than 8% of Puerto Rico's affected population. The difference in response is simply staggering...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-72369791141458080302014-07-07T13:13:00.000-05:002017-10-10T00:34:32.979-05:00So I did my time...I can't say that serving in the Obama Administration was the most fun I ever had. Can't say that at all. Nor can i say that it was the hardest work I've ever done. Maybe the most frustrating. Trying to pass a cybersecurity bill when no one wants to pay for cybersecurity is, well, hard. Trying to satisfy hundreds of generals and a hundred senators, that's insane. I'd say I was proud of the work I did (which, I suppose, I am), but it would be more appropriate to say that I was proud to serve this administration...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-66083653401770831422011-07-27T11:28:00.002-05:002011-07-27T11:33:47.747-05:00No Local Post Offices on the Prospective Closing ListFor the second year in a row, the USPS has proposed closing local postal facilities. The list for Illinois includes only two facilities in the 604xx zip codes. They are the Kinsman and Verona Post Offices in LaSalle County. The complete list for Illinois:<br /><br />Office City Zip<br />CLARE CLARE 60111<br />ESMOND ESMOND 60129<br />HILLSIDE HILLSIDE 60162<br />KINSMAN KINSMAN 60437<br />VERONA VERONA 60479<br />LA GRANGE PARK LA GRANGE PARK 60526<br />LEE LEE 60530<br />MILLINGTON MILLINGTON 60537<br />WEDRON WEDRON 60557<br />NANCY B JEFFERSON CHICAGO 60612<br />CHINATOWN POSTAL STORE CHICAGO 60616<br />ENGLEWOOD CHICAGO 60621<br />OTIS GRANT COLLINS CHICAGO 60623<br />MARY ALICE HENRY CHICAGO 60624<br />OGDEN PARK CHICAGO 60636<br />FINANCE STATION U CHICAGO 60637<br />REV.MILTON R.BRUNSON STATION CHICAGO 60644<br />ROBERT LEFLORE JR. CHICAGO 60651<br />ASHBURN CHICAGO 60652<br />HAYMARKET POSTAL STORE CHICAGO 60661<br />RIVERDALE RIVERDALE 60827<br />BUCKINGHAM BUCKINGHAM 60917<br />CAMPUS CAMPUS 60920<br />CLAYTONVILLE CLAYTONVILLE 60926<br />ELLIOTT ELLIOTT 60933<br />EMINGTON EMINGTON 60934<br />GOODWINE GOODWINE 60939<br />IROQUOIS IROQUOIS 60945<br />PAPINEAU PAPINEAU 60956<br />STOCKLAND STOCKLAND 60967<br />WELLINGTON WELLINGTON 60973<br />WOODLAND WOODLAND 60974<br />CHANA CHANA 61015<br />ELEROY ELEROY 61027<br />HOLCOMB HOLCOMB 61043<br />KENT KENT 61044<br />LINDENWOOD LINDENWOOD 61049<br />NACHUSA NACHUSA 61057<br />NORA NORA 61059<br />SEWARD SEWARD 61077<br />BARSTOW BARSTOW 61236<br />BUFFALO PRAIRIE BUFFALO PRAIRIE 61237<br />ARLINGTON ARLINGTON 61312<br />BLACKSTONE BLACKSTONE 61313<br />BUREAU BUREAU 61315<br />CEDAR POINT CEDAR POINT 61316<br />COMPTON COMPTON 61318<br />DANA DANA 61321<br />DOVER DOVER 61323<br />KASBEER KASBEER 61328<br />LEE CENTER LEE CENTER 61331<br />LEONORE LEONORE 61332<br />LONG POINT LONG POINT 61333<br />MAGNOLIA MAGNOLIA 61336<br />MARK MARK 61340<br />MINERAL MINERAL 61344<br />NEW BEDFORD NEW BEDFORD 61346<br />RUTLAND RUTLAND 61358<br />SEATONVILLE SEATONVILLE 61359<br />STANDARD STANDARD 61363<br />TRIUMPH TRIUMPH 61371<br />TROY GROVE TROY GROVE 61372<br />VAN ORIN VAN ORIN 61374<br />WEST BROOKLYN WEST BROOKLYN 61378<br />BARDOLPH BARDOLPH 61416<br />BERWICK BERWICK 61417<br />BISHOP HILL BISHOP HILL 61419<br />CAMERON CAMERON 61423<br />CAMP GROVE CAMP GROVE 61424<br />CARMAN CARMAN 61425<br />CASTLETON CASTLETON 61426<br />EAST GALESBURG EAST GALESBURG 61430<br />ELLISVILLE ELLISVILLE 61431<br />FIATT FIATT 61433<br />GILSON GILSON 61436<br />HENDERSON HENDERSON 61439<br />LA FAYETTE LA FAYETTE 61449<br />LAURA LAURA 61451<br />LITTLETON LITTLETON 61452<br />LITTLE YORK LITTLE YORK 61453<br />MARIETTA MARIETTA 61459<br />NORTH HENDERSON NORTH HENDERSON 61466<br />PRAIRIE CITY PRAIRIE CITY 61470<br />RARITAN RARITAN 61471<br />RIO RIO 61472<br />SAINT AUGUSTINE SAINT AUGUSTINE 61474<br />SEATON SEATON 61476<br />SMITHFIELD SMITHFIELD 61477<br />SMITHSHIRE SMITHSHIRE 61478<br />SPEER SPEER 61479<br />DUNFERMLINE DUNFERMLINE 61524<br />EDELSTEIN EDELSTEIN 61526<br />KINGSTON MINES KINGSTON MINES 61539<br />LA ROSE LA ROSE 61541<br />LIVERPOOL LIVERPOOL 61543<br />TOPEKA TOPEKA 61567<br />BARTONVILLE BARTONVILLE 61607<br />ANCHOR ANCHOR 61720<br />ARMINGTON ARMINGTON 61721<br />ARROWSMITH ARROWSMITH 61722<br />BELLFLOWER BELLFLOWER 61724<br />COOKSVILLE COOKSVILLE 61730<br />CROPSEY CROPSEY 61731<br />DEWITT DEWITT 61735<br />KENNEY KENNEY 61749<br />LAWNDALE LAWNDALE 61751<br />SECOR SECOR 61771<br />SHIRLEY SHIRLEY 61772<br />SIBLEY SIBLEY 61773<br />STRAWN STRAWN 61775<br />UNIVERSITY STATION URBANA 61801<br />ALVIN ALVIN 61811<br />ARMSTRONG ARMSTRONG 61812<br />BONDVILLE BONDVILLE 61815<br />STATION A CHAMPAIGN 61820<br />CISCO CISCO 61830<br />COLLISON COLLISON 61831<br />DE LAND DE LAND 61839<br />DEWEY DEWEY 61840<br />INDIANOLA INDIANOLA 61850<br />IVESDALE IVESDALE 61851<br />LONGVIEW LONGVIEW 61852<br />MUNCIE MUNCIE 61857<br />PENFIELD PENFIELD 61862<br />ROYAL ROYAL 61871<br />BROCTON BROCTON 61917<br />HUME HUME 61932<br />LA PLACE LA PLACE 61936<br />METCALF METCALF 61940<br />MURDOCK MURDOCK 61941<br />VERMILION VERMILION 61955<br />EAGARVILLE EAGARVILLE 62023<br />FIDELITY FIDELITY 62030<br />HILLVIEW HILLVIEW 62050<br />KANE KANE 62054<br />LOVEJOY LOVEJOY 62059<br />NATIONAL STOCK YARDS NATIONAL STOCK YARDS 62071<br />OHLMAN OHLMAN 62076<br />PATTERSON PATTERSON 62078<br />PIASA PIASA 62079<br />ROCKBRIDGE ROCKBRIDGE 62081<br />ROSAMOND ROSAMOND 62083<br />SAWYERVILLE SAWYERVILLE 62085<br />VENICE VENICE 62090<br />WRIGHTS WRIGHTS 62098<br />FULTS FULTS 62244<br />HUEY HUEY 62252<br />MAEYSTOWN MAEYSTOWN 62256<br />NEW MEMPHIS NEW MEMPHIS 62266<br />RENAULT RENAULT 62279<br />ROCKWOOD ROCKWOOD 62280<br />BASCO BASCO 62313<br />CAMDEN CAMDEN 62319<br />ELVASTON ELVASTON 62334<br />FERRIS FERRIS 62336<br />KINDERHOOK KINDERHOOK 62345<br />LIMA LIMA 62348<br />NEW CANTON NEW CANTON 62356<br />NEW SALEM NEW SALEM 62357<br />PLAINVILLE PLAINVILLE 62365<br />ROCKPORT ROCKPORT 62370<br />TENNESSEE TENNESSEE 62374<br />TIMEWELL TIMEWELL 62375<br />WEST POINT WEST POINT 62380<br />MOUNT ERIE MOUNT ERIE 62446<br />YALE YALE 62481<br />CHESTNUT CHESTNUT 62518<br />CORNLAND CORNLAND 62519<br />GLENARM GLENARM 62536<br />LAKE FORK LAKE FORK 62541<br />OCONEE OCONEE 62553<br />PALMER PALMER 62556<br />TOVEY TOVEY 62570<br />WAGGONER WAGGONER 62572<br />ALEXANDER ALEXANDER 62601<br />ALSEY ALSEY 62610<br />BATH BATH 62617<br />BLUFF SPRINGS BLUFF SPRINGS 62622<br />BROWNING BROWNING 62624<br />CONCORD CONCORD 62631<br />KILBOURNE KILBOURNE 62655<br />MANCHESTER MANCHESTER 62663<br />NILWOOD NILWOOD 62672<br />CAPITOL STA SPRINGFIELD 62706<br />BONE GAP BONE GAP 62815<br />EWING EWING 62836<br />KEENSBURG KEENSBURG 62852<br />LOGAN LOGAN 62856<br />MAUNIE MAUNIE 62861<br />MILL SHOALS MILL SHOALS 62862<br />MULKEYTOWN MULKEYTOWN 62865<br />OPDYKE OPDYKE 62872<br />ORIENT ORIENT 62874<br />RADOM RADOM 62876<br />RINARD RINARD 62878<br />SCHELLER SCHELLER 62883<br />SIMS SIMS 62886<br />SPRINGERTON SPRINGERTON 62887<br />VERNON VERNON 62892<br />BELKNAP BELKNAP 62908<br />COLP COLP 62921<br />GRANTSBURG GRANTSBURG 62943<br />HEROD HEROD 62947<br />JACOB JACOB 62950<br />MILLCREEK MILLCREEK 62961<br />MILLER CITY MILLER CITY 62962<br />MUDDY MUDDY 62965<br />PERKS PERKS 62973bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-47377599285152514092011-05-30T08:45:00.000-05:002011-05-30T16:46:14.601-05:00<img src="http://politicalwire.com/images/5-30-11.jpg">bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-11128953739021942542011-05-12T10:58:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:26:20.465-05:00Rep. Will Davis on Education Funding<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q6SCvSJMP5A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-42732536009766670192011-03-18T20:13:00.005-05:002011-03-19T10:02:58.636-05:00Chicago Heights getting nervous...The Integrity Party has brought a lot of new people into the political scene in Chicago Heights. I usually call these people (political) virgins because it's not like what they teach you in school.<br /><br />One of my candidates was horrified after Dave Gonzalez instructed a city worker to throw her out of city hall. "He was rude," she explained.<br /><br />I've had to explain to these candidates, often more than once, that you don't take power out of the hands of those who have it graciously. You take power away by force. Especially when there is so much money at stake. Chicago Heights spends millions more than cities of a similar size. It employs more people than cities of a similar size. So it should be no surprise that it taxes its residents more than other cities of a similar size.<br /><br />Not that it provides good (public) service for their dollar. I've been told by friends and supporters that I should be calling the police when we are threatened or we see things that shouldn't be. So this week I did.<br /><br />But not a single police officer came to deal with the matter. No one.<br /><br />This isn't unusual. And not just because Dave Gonzalez is forcing city workers to campaign on his behalf, apparently during working hours.<br /><br />Yep, corruption costs someone money. And Dave Gonzalez sure has the house to show for it.<br /><br />Tomorrow, 300 Hispanics from Cicero are supposed to arrive to help out Gonzalez. I assume he'll need the help. I think I was supposed to be surprised that 300 people were supposed to come down, but I already expected this. I've already duked it out with Gonzalez in a race in that area. And it will be an impressive show of force.<br /><br />Of outsiders. But they have already had a slew of outsiders come in and knock on doors for them. Gonzalez has to have outsiders come in because he doesn't seem to be generating the kind of support in Chicago Heights that he expected.<br /><br />Supposedly, last weekend, Gonzalez put up 1000 signs. But I don't know a single one that was placed in a yard of one of his supporters. Maybe he doesn't have any. Even some of the people who *they* mobilized to early vote claim they voted for Joe (one was a city worker!).<br /><br />Like all politicians, Dave Gonzalez has an inflated view of himself. It's kind of pathetic, especially in this case. He has to hide from what is real, and project what is not. For example, Gonzalez has been telling other politicians that he has this race wrapped up and that he can mobilize this huge work force (presumably all the city workers that he's impressed into service illegally) but he's got to ship in hundreds of Hispanics to help him make "Latino Day" look good.<br /><br />What a character.<br /><br />Well, Gonzalez has already started to figure out that he doesn't have a strong grasp of politics. And he has an even weaker grasp of politics that is played at this level. A teenager could figure out what we are going to do. It's not rocket science, and it isn't a secret. So this upcoming week ought to be very, very interesting. But I'm having a *very* good time. Dave Gonzalez is an extremely rich oppo target and the only difficulty is in trying to decide which parts of his past and his hypocrisy I want to go after.<br /><br />He's made it easy for me. For example, the city of Chicago Heights (ok, really Dave Gonzalez but they pretend that it is the city, so I will, too) has halted the provision of basic services to the 4th Ward (which is Joe Faso's ward), in the belief that they can blame Joe for their failure.<br /><br />Which shows a basic disconnect from the residents in the 4th Ward (or just an assumption that voters are stupid). They know what is going on. This makes them more determined to get out and vote for Joe, not less likely. The only stupid person here is Gonzalez.<br /><br />But we can pretend that he isn't an idiot. After all, he's bringing in 300 Hispanics from Cicero tomorrow. That ought to impress someone. Really. I mean, I assume...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-55968559853426882752011-03-13T09:00:00.002-05:002011-03-13T09:03:19.807-05:00Would you elect the brother of a Domestic Terrorist to be your mayor?That's the question in Chicago Heights this week.<br /><br />Dave Gonzalez sent out a mailer claiming drug dealers are Domestic Terrorists. Which is a odd thing to say about your brother, someone you let into your home, someone who acts in the community as a representative for you.<br /><br />Perhaps Dave didn't see the irony. But others did.<br /><br />So would you?<br /><br />Would you elect the brother of a Domestic Terrorist to be your mayor?<br /><br />I know I wouldn't. I can't imagine too many people who would.<br /><br />I'm really starting to wonder if Dave Gonzalez understands politics. I mean, I'd expect him to throw his brother under the bus. Dave Gonzalez isn't exactly known for his loyalty to people. In fact, quite the opposite.<br /><br />But emphasizing your relationship to Domestic Terrorism?<br /><br />That's not smart. Not smart at all. Not if you want to be mayor.bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-45449130445902407232011-03-06T10:01:00.001-06:002011-03-06T10:03:29.575-06:00Gregg Lunceford, candidate for 161 School Board<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zTMZwluax1A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-70960264295029891712011-03-04T09:47:00.001-06:002011-03-04T09:49:59.098-06:00Sam Brown, running for Re-election in Matteson<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LA4V8STAoGE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-10826025189412511882011-02-22T22:44:00.002-06:002011-02-22T22:56:48.026-06:00Dave Gonzalez "unleashes" the dogs (is that code for something?)It was an exciting day in Chicago today. Down here in Chicago Heights, the excitement is only starting to build. I just got a call telling me that a local gang leader walked into a Chicago Heights business today and told him that they were taking over this town. Dave Gonzalez has "unleashed the dogs." Not exactly sure what that means, other than it's a warning. I'm supposed to tell those opposed to corruption, drugs and gangs in Chicago Heights to back off. Or something.<br /><br />It's almost like living inside a movie. I know that Gonzalez and his gang think that we should be afraid. Maybe they are, and they are projecting their fear on others. I can't really say. But what I do know is that Gonzalez clearly didn't grow up in the South, didn't experience race riots or drug wars. I had friends who had crosses burned on their lawns when I was a kid. We had a race riot (with the cowboys bringing their shotguns to school) when I was first in high school. I worked a special Congressional election in Miami in the middle of the 80s. Columbian drug lords thought nothing of shooting up the place.<br /><br />So I'm having a hard time taking all the threats from the Heights seriously. Seriously.<br /><br />Sure, Chicago Heights is the murder capitol of Chicagoland. And more than a few people have suggested that I should be afraid, very afraid going up against someone who is so connected. But, again, I grew up in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. So I understand perfectly that people with power (like Dave Gonzalez) don't give it up easily.<br /><br />What I find so fascinating, though, is why anyone would think that an increase in gang tags or public bravado would help Dave Gonzalez. Sure, we have lots of Hispanic support for the Integrity platform, but I find it hard to believe that Dave Gonzalez believes it. And trying to intimidate Integrity volunteers? If they are anything like me, they will only get madder -- and more determined.<br /><br />At the very time that people in Egypt and Tunisia have overturned tyrants (and one party rule) in their countries, it's really difficult to understand why Dave Gonzalez would think that he could succeed with these tired old tactics right here in the South Suburbs. He's got power (now), and he's determined to keep it. I understand that. But getting the gangs to do your dirty work? And that's supposed to help?<br /><br />I dunno, but I think some politicians haven't entered the 21st century. Dave Gonzalez is at the top of that list. The real question is whether Chicago Heights is stuck in the past, as well...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-27837119616310079092011-01-18T20:42:00.001-06:002011-01-18T20:46:34.813-06:00Details of Saturday's Chicago Heights Meeting leak outWhile I tried to attend Saturday's meeting at the Chicago Heights Country Club (I was told I could not enter, and then told that I'd have to leave the parking ), called by mayoral candidate Dave Gonzalez who mandated that all city employees attend or "face the consequences," I have gotten word back on some details.<br /><br />City employees have been instructed to turn in contact sheets of 40 names by Friday. A vague threat was made about not turning them in, but Gonzalez is clearly trying to stay under the radar of the U.S. Attorney General's <a href="http://www.justice.gov/criminal/pin/">Public Integrity Section of its Criminal Division.</a><br /><br />City Employees were told that they would be responsible for getting the names of their contact lists to the polls for Gonzalez, with a goal of perhaps half those names voting either by absentee or early vote.<br /><br />Several Chicago Heights employees have complained to me about the stressful conditions they now work under. Gonzalez has placed apologists throughout the departments, and workers thought to be independent or non-partisan have received extra attention.<br /><br />Again, it is illegal to condition employment at Chicago Heights' city hall upon political work for any candidate or party. It is interesting to me that while the County is moving away from openly violating Shakman, and I'd expect the city of Chicago to be less resistant to Shakman under a new mayor and city council, the South Suburbs is belatedly falling into a gray area -- openly violating Shakman and Rutan, but trying to obfuscate those violations. I'm not sure how the city -- well, the taxpayers -- of Chicago Heights can afford these corrupt practices, but until people stand up against the corruption, their tax bills will only get higher and higher.<br /><br />If you are a Chicago Heights employee (or the employee of any city) who felt intimidated or forced to participate against your will, please call the Public Integrity Section at (202) 514-1412. You won't have to give your full name to express your concerns. They are eager to hear from you. I will follow up on this on Saturday, and afterwards...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-58186924888280624572011-01-14T09:39:00.004-06:002011-01-14T10:33:22.919-06:00Chicago Heights' mayoral candidate Dave Gonzalez crossing the Shakman lineI got word yesterday that Dave Gonzalez, a current vendor (he has some kind of contract with the city) and candidate for mayor in Chicago Heights, has called a meeting for this Saturday of *all* department heads and employees who work for the city. Department heads made phone calls -- on city time, using city resources -- demanding that employees attend this "mandatory meeting." According to one source, they were told that there would be "consequences" for those who didn't show up.<br /><br />This is, of course, illegal. Municipal employees are protected by both Shakman and Rutan, according to <a href="http://www.richardmeans.com/">election law expert Richard Means.</a> Means was the lawyer who had an election overturned in Gary, IN and literally wrote the book on election law in Illinois.<br /><br />According to Means:<br /><br /><blockquote>Of course it is illegal to condition future public employment on political work for a mayoral candidate regardless of whether he is an incumbent or aspirant. Depending on the precise facts and how the threat was communicated and by whom, it is likely both a federal and state crime and a civil violation of numerous federal and state civil rights laws.</blockquote><br /><br />Many people associate Shakman with the City of Chicago and Cook County. But it also applies to Chicago Heights. Shakman strictly prohibits politically-based hiring, firing, promotions and/or other job actions for municipal positions where political considerations are not expressly exempt. Virtually every Chicago Heights employee contacted on Wednesday or Thursday at the bequest of Dave Gonzalez falls under the protection of Shakman (and Rutan).<br /><br />Department heads, because they used city resources and workday to demand employee's participation, are particularly at risk. <a href="http://www.cookcountygov.com/taxonomy/Human%20Resources/Public%20Information/cc_HR_ShakmanTraining.pdf">One explanation of Shakman [PDF]</a> says that it:<br /><br /><blockquote>prohibits the conditioning, basing, or knowingly prejudicing or affecting any aspect of employment of any person as a Governmental Employee (other than Exempt Positions), upon or because of any political reason or factor including, without limitation, any Employee’s political affiliation, political support or activity, political financial contributions, promises of such political support, activity or financial contributions or such Employee’s political sponsorship or recommendation is prohibited.</blockquote><br /><br />Further, it prohibits any employee (exempt or not exempt):<br /><br /><blockquote>from knowingly inducing, aiding, abetting, participating in, cooperating with the commission of, or threatening to condition, base or knowingly prejudice or affect the employment of any County employee or applicant based upon political factors.</blockquote><br /><br />It is not Gonzalez, of course, who is likely to bear the brunt of additional Shakman litigation. The city of Chicago Heights would do so -- both financially and, additionally, to it's reputation -- of the possible Shakman violations.<br /><br />In <a href="http://law.jrank.org/pages/12556/Rutan-v-Republican-Party-Illinois.html">Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois,</a> "The [U.S. Supreme] Court found for the petitioner, expanding the First Amendment protection against dismissal from low-level government positions based on party affiliation, which had been established in two earlier cases." In other words, municipal employees cannot be forced to participate in party activity.<br /><br />I talked yesterday with people I know in the U.S. Attorney General's office about Saturday's meeting in Chicago Heights. Because of my involvement in the Obama campaign and the transition, I was aware that public corruption -- as seems to be manifesting itself with this week's incident in Chicago Heights -- is a key concern of the Obama Administration. I was referred to the <a href="http://www.justice.gov/criminal/pin/">Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division within the department:</a><br /><br /><blockquote>The Public Integrity Section (PIN) oversees the federal effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of elected and appointed public officials at all levels of government. The Section has exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of criminal misconduct on the part of federal judges and also supervises the nationwide investigation and prosecution of election crimes. Section attorneys prosecute selected cases against federal, state, and local officials, and are available as a source of advice and expertise to other prosecutors and investigators.</blockquote><br /><br />I was specifically asked to relay their phone number to anyone who felt they had been forced to participate in political activity (such as the meeting called for Saturday by Dave Gonzalez). If you are a Chicago Heights employee (or the employee of any city) who felt intimidated or forced to participate against your will, please call the Public Integrity Section at (202) 514-1412. You won't have to give your full name to express your concerns. They are eager to hear from you. I will follow up on this on Saturday, and afterwards.<br /><br />We need to stem the corruption here in the South Suburbs. We can no longer simply overlook corruption just because that's the way it's always been. We're better than that. We *deserve* better than that...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-51974191270968901342010-11-02T05:54:00.001-05:002010-11-02T05:56:52.292-05:00Republican Thugs Try to Intimidate Olympia Fields state SenatorIf you drove by 222 Vollmer in Chicago Heights, you'd have noticed that there were no political signs up -- despite the fact that it is the headquarters (and district office, on separate floors) of state Senator Toi Hutchinson. The office complex doesn't allow yard signs on its property and that's a condition that the campaign of Toi Hutchinson accepted throughout the campaign.<br /><br />But Adam Baumgartner -- who's support is so thin that I've never actually met anyone who'd admit they are voting for him -- didn't care. He thought he had a right to do whatever he wanted, just as all kids do. I doubt his blind disregard for the law was intentional, he's simply too immature to realize otherwise.<br /><br />Having said that, the lack of support for Baumgartner in Cook County might be frustrating him. Until this week, I had never seen a sign for him INSIDE his district. Every single one of them had been placed inside Rich and Thornton Townships, not the 40th district. Understand, the <a href="illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2010/11/state-senator-caught-pulling-up-challengers-campaign-signs.html">"volunteer"</a> who Baumgartner was paying to put up signs didn't live near the 40th, so it's probably not that much of a surprise that they were placed in the "volunteer's" neighborhood.<br /><br />But the fact that a Republican campaign wouldn't respect private property is a little dismaying. Even after being told that signs were inappropriate on commercial property and the public right of way, Baumgartner's "volunteers" persisted.<br /><br />If you've reached the conclusion that they were trying to provoke a confrontation, that was an easy place to go. Facing a formidable opponent who a lot of people thought couldn't win in an election, Baumgartner's staff has to try for a hail mary. Plus, Republicans are embarrassed by the stunt of Tony Peraica and his campaign, so why not try to trap a Democrat into the same thing?<br /><br />Except for that pesky violation of private property. Most Republicans claim to have high regard for private property, and especially that used by small businesses. But Baumgartner's staff has repeatedly violated that high regard. Again, it's very easy to conclude that he's just a kid, trying to put on his big boy pants, or recognize that his campaign staff has never been involved in a campaign before. So can we really hold them to the same standard we hold others?<br /><br />I buried the lede. It happens. The first I heard of this incident, which Senator Hutchinson took to the Chicago Heights police, was from a staffer who was concerned about Toi's personal safety. In front of witnesses, Toi was threatened. Now Toi, being Toi, shamed the young men who were there, noting that it isn't that easy for African-Americans to advance and why would they want to be a party to preventing that? When I was told this over the phone, I could hear her mommy voice kicking in. Toi, being Toi, was trying to help these young men understand the law, understand respect for private property and learn something from the incident.<br /><br />In the end, this is really about political intimidation. I worked for Ronald Reagan (in two presidential runs) and we didn't pull this kind of crap. In fact, I was in the (staff) trailer at the Detroit convention when Reagan told his people that he was going to ask George Bush to be his vice president, and talked about the difficulty of 1976 and how he had held his head up high, nowing that he'd done the right thing.<br /><br />Screwing around with yard signs, trying to intimidate opponents (or voters) isn't a Republican thing, it's a thuggish thing. Toi was right, Adam Baumgartner should be ashamed. Maybe, someday, he'll grow up. Maybe not. But he's chosen to be a thug, to associate with thugs and exploit thuggish behavior. That's not why he's going to lose today, but it is why he should lose...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-40425606286573681862010-10-21T09:09:00.001-05:002010-10-21T09:14:51.639-05:00Bill Brady and his Indiana/Kentucky/Tennessee envyIt never occurred to me that anyone in Illinois envied Indiana. Here we are, with Chicago, the jewel of the Midwest, the gravitational force that draws people from throughout the region, and one of our gubernatorial candidates actually wants Illinois to be more like Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee???<br /><br />I've heard of people being ashamed of their family, but I guess I had never witnessed someone being ashamed of their state. More to the point, why would anyone want to be like Indiana?<br /><br />I get to see how bad Indiana is every single school day. I live in a school district of some renown close to the border, and one of the problems the district has is that people outside the boundaries of the district try to get their kids in it. So every morning, when the train comes, you see a line of kids walking from the train to school. Employees who are supposed to verify residency have told me that many of these kids who try to sneak into the school come from Indiana.<br /><br />With Bill Brady wanting to cut a billion dollars from our public schools and make us "more like Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee" I have to wonder what schools *our* kids will be trying to sneak into under a Governor Bill Brady? Missouri's??? Mississippi's???<br /><br />It's almost like Bill Brady wants to undermine public education -- and an economic legacy once the envy of the world.<br /><br />There really is a difference in approach between the two parties, and it was made clear in last night's debate. Democrats are talking about building Illinois into a great post-Industrial power, not just in the Midwest but in the country. While the term silicon prairie is overused, Democratic candidates talk about investing in the state, expanding beyond the bizarrely single-sector focus on financial technology and welcoming development in future technologies, whether they would be classified as high tech or not.<br /><br />But listen to the Republicans. They keep focusing on "small business," as if small business was the savior for all the jobs lost by the rusting away of the Industrial complex. Not only is that belief a pipe dream -- there isn't a single economist out there who would argue that small businesses could replace all the jobs lost by the de-industrialization of the Midwest -- it's defies reality.<br /><br />Had Republican ideology been based in reality, it would have noticed that credit markets have been reducing loans to small businesses, especially the vital short-term loans that many small businesses use to cover expenses. <a href="http://stlouisfed.org/publications/br/articles/?id=2007">St. Louis Fed economist Julie Stackhouse reports,</a> “Businesses across the country report that credit conditions remain very difficult. In fact, the data on small loans made by banks show that outstanding loans have dropped from almost $700 billion in the second quarter of 2008 to approximately $660 billion in the first quarter of 2010.”<br /><br />Republicans keep talking about jobs, but Democrats have been creating them by investing in Illinois and its people. And that's the difference. Democratic candidates like <a href="quinnforillinois.com">Pat Quinn,</a> <a href="alexiforillinois.com">Alexi Giannoulias,</a> <a href="http://www.davidmillerforillinois.com/">David Miller</a> and <a href="robinfortreasurer.com">Robin Kelly</a> want Illinois to be, well, MORE LIKE Illinois. They dream of a state that is, once again, not only the economic engine of the Midwest but in the driver's seat for the entire country, even the world.<br /><br />These two difference visions for the future of Illinois expose another difference: that over the future of education in the state, and how much value we should attach to it. If Illinois' future is "small business" (whatever that is), then education isn't that important. You don't need a college degree to work in a small business (at least not the kind of small business that Brady or Rutherford are talking about). You probably don't even need a high school education. Brady's small business strategy backs up his intention of cutting state spending in public education.<br /><br />But the Democrat's vision of an Illinois that is once again a leader in high technology and leading edge economic development requires a strong commitment to public education, through the post-grad level. It's a big gap: one in a future where Illinois is a world leader, the other where Illinois is, well, "like Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee."<br /><br />When you think about Indiana, Kentucky or Tennessee, you don't think about economic engines or driving the world economy. You don't think of supercomputers or cutting-edge development. These are small states with small goals and small futures. And that appears to be what Republicans like Bill Brady and Dan Rutherford want: a small future for Illinois. A simple choice. A simple belief in our future. Or not. But I sure don't want to live in a state "like Indiana."bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-88368745051914136322010-09-27T09:14:00.001-05:002010-09-27T09:18:02.061-05:00Alexi Giannoulias talks about the importance of 2010 Elections<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/db4YqexXK7g?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/db4YqexXK7g?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Alexi Giannoulias returned to the South Suburbs to talk to voters about why this election is as important as any other. Alexi first talks about his work as Treasurer and his support for his Chief of Staff. He turns to his own race in part 2:<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PPzlnKH9gxI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PPzlnKH9gxI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-26744178901141346222010-09-08T12:27:00.003-05:002010-09-08T14:54:26.529-05:00Implications of Daley's Decision in the South Suburbs'OMG! Rich Daley isn't running for re-election! The fallout will reverberate all the way down to the South Suburbs!'<br /><br />Sometimes people over-exaggerate Chicago's influence on the suburbs. Anybody who even considered the above (I paraphrased from a conversation I had yesterday, but don't recall the words exactly -- or possibly even closely) really doesn't understand what's been happening down here.<br /><br />Alex Lopes, mayor of Chicago Heights, just died, leaving that city in turmoil. Doug Price argues that this is the only thought on the minds of the political elites in the Heights, and he's probably right.<br /><br />Linzey Jones, long-time mayor of Olympia Heights, is moving on to the bench, and the village trustees are currently trying to figure out who (amongst them) will succeed him. <br /><br />Lopez' death and Jones leaving politics may have as big an impact on the South Suburbs as Daley's retirement. Two big holes were already here to be filled, and we don't have a clue who's going to step up in the South Suburbs.<br /><br />Well, that's not exactly true, but let me continue the thought. Because the impact of the 2008 campaign continues to reverberate in the South Suburbs, as well. Oh, we definitely have people whose sole political interest is in Barack Obama -- and more than a few who are waiting for the next Obama for President headquarters to open so they can go volunteer down there.<br /><br />But there are even more people who first got involved in Barack's campaign who are eager to get involved in elective politics. And the sudden openings in Olympia Fields and Chicago Heights, as well as the attention devoted to the Big Opening in Chicago, will only spur their thoughts.<br /><br />You can, however, get a glimpse of who is likely to step up and fill the power vacuum(s) in South Suburban politics. Toi Hutchinson is building a grassroots-driven campaign that is basically devoid of message but focuses on her biography. Which is also kind of sad, because Hutchinson may be one of the few politicians in Illinois who has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Christie">Chris Christie</a>-like credibility talking about the problems we face and the solutions needed to get us out of the hole we dug. Running a campaign on her biography is a safe choice -- except the fact that her district stretches all the way down to Iroquois county.<br /><br />Toi's opponent (presumably) sought to take advantage of that choice by inserting the following into her Wikipedia entry: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toi_Hutchinson">"Mrs. Hutchinson is an African-American Democrat in a 90% white district. Many Illinois political pundits believe she will lose re-election in 2010 to a white candidate."</a><br /><br />That's utterly false -- not a single "political pundit" in Illinois believes that Toi will lose "re-election" simply because she's an "African-American Democrat in a 90% white district." (They forgot to add "largely rural" to that description.) Some have argued that it is a more conservative district than Toi personally is, but that doesn't have anything to do with her effectiveness in representing the people of her district!<br /><br />I have long observed the difference between the right and the left on this particular question. The conservative movement has argued for decades that they can win virtually anywhere, if they can mobilize their activists and get their message out. It's one reason why over 100 Congressional Districts are "in play" in this general election, because Republicans have effectively recruited strong candidates who are waging strong campaigns just about everywhere. So why can't progressive Democrats win in "largely rural" districts, as long as they take care of the people's business? It's an ideological difference in assumptions that defies reason (but also a cultural peculiarity to Madigan-style politics where the party seeks out "the perfect candidate" for the district). Elections at this level are decided by personal contacts and message delivery.<br /><br />Which brings me back to the void in the South Suburbs. It's probably less a vacuum than a changing of the guard. Mayor Jones moves on to a different career path, but Olympia Fields remains a rich pool of political talent, from which someone will no doubt emerge to replace him. They may even be able to replace him in regional politics and leadership. If not, someone else will. And Mayor Lopez' tragic death unleashes the undercurrents that had been bubbling up to the surface.<br /><br />There still remains a tension in the South Suburbs between those who want to follow the "soak the taxpayers" model of government, with elected officials getting their's and not really worrying too much about the people's business and the sustainable model of governance where elected officials are careful of the people's money and try to improve their communities. We are still -- but less so -- influenced by the great city to our north. And that conflict remains. (One reason that Flossmoor has weathered the current economic storm is that we had strong reserves from which to draw on -- and save people's jobs. But you don't find village trustees making a mint, either, as trustees!)<br /><br />This is likely to be resolved as more people get involved from outside the "regular" organization...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-76293066749301990452010-08-30T13:22:00.001-05:002010-08-30T13:30:34.661-05:00Alexi Giannoulias Fires Up the Vols<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_O7B0qjKUro?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_O7B0qjKUro?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />On September 28th, volunteers from all over the nation got together to knock on doors on behalf of Democratic candidates. <a href="http://alexiforillinois.com/">Alexi Giannoulias,</a> Illinois' Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Barack Obama, came to Chicago Heights to talk to its volunteers before heading out the door.<br /><br />He was introduced by <a href="http://toihutchinson.com/">Sen. Toi Hutchinson.</a> Cook County Board of Review Commissioner <a href="http://brendanhoulihan.com/">Brendan Houlihan</a> also joined us.<br /><br />Volunteers from this location ended up knocking on 1500 doors on Saturday. The enthusiastic send-off by Alexi Giannoulias didn't hurt. It is amazing how well Alexi connects with the volunteers and voters of Illinois. We received a terrific response from voters in reaction to Alexi's candidacy and his focus on jobs for Illinois!<br /><br /><br />You can <a href="https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5932/t/6697/content.jsp?content_KEY=4013">donate to Alexi's campaign here</a> or <a href="http://action.alexiforillinois.com/o/5932/signUp.jsp?key=2838">sign up to volunteer here</a>...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-79973033510104857002010-08-28T21:21:00.002-05:002010-08-28T21:31:36.007-05:00Sen Hutchinson Speaks on the Passing of Chicago Hghts Mayor Lopez<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ktE4VFsjibY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ktE4VFsjibY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-54358807631430844482010-08-27T19:44:00.002-05:002010-08-27T19:50:18.844-05:00Throw the Bums OutNewsflash: voters are angry. Democrats will try to knock on 200,000 doors tomorrow and I'm betting some of them will be surprised.<br /><br />I got a glimpse of that today. I was out running errands in my "League of Conservation Voters" shirt -- which almost everyone misreads as "League of Conservative Voters" -- and the check-out lady asks me, "so who do you vote for?"<br /><br />Now I have to say that I was taken aback. I mean, I don't usually have checkers try to engage me in political discussions and I almost never know what shirt I'm wearing (guy, so who cares what clothes I have on -- I figure I'm lucky when they "match"). But after a momentary pause, I say, "I'm voting Democrat."<br /><br />And she replies, "I usually vote Democrat, too, but I'm just so frustrated this year."<br /><br />In one sentence, a nice elderly woman has captured the mood of the electorate here in Illinois.<br /><br />"when are they going to tell you how they're going to solve all these problems?" she asks.<br /><br />YES! Now we're on my ground!<br /><br />"Well," I respond, and then give a brief version of my 'we live in a complex world' speech which always begins the same way: "We've tried all the simple answers, and when those didn't work, we're left with the difficult ones." But what politician is going to tell you that the problems that remain are the ones that earlier politicians couldn't solve because they demand more difficult, and probably more complex, solutions?<br /><br />Because, you know, politicians avoid telling hard truths like children avoid brushing their teeth or taking their medicine.<br /><br />Probably for the same reasons.<br /><br />Now, you want to give away Ice Cream? That always gets a crowd.<br /><br />Politicians tend to want to be liked. It's part of their genome. So the expectation that a group of people who mostly need to be liked could solve some of the country's most difficult problems -- like unemployment, a sour economy, health care, racism, etc etc -- might be a bit far fetched. You know, if you really think about it.<br /><br />Which I suspect most people don't.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. There are really smart people thinking about solving the challenges we face. One of them, right here in Illinois, ran for an open seat in the Illinois House recently. He talked a lot about issues and how we could go about dealing with some of the greater challenges faced in the state.<br /><br />And he lost. Which didn't surprise me.<br /><br />I know of another one who decided to leave the Illinois House this year and run for a different office. When I saw him down in Springfield, I asked if he'd be coming back in the future. "There are other offices where we need your help," mentioning one specifically.<br /><br />But I'm pretty sure that he got the hell out of Dodge because he was frustrated by the actual pace of change in Illinois' capital. Molasses moves faster. And I know that he's interested in real solutions, in helping real people, not just perpetuating the same ole, same ole down there.<br /><br />And then there's <a href="http://toihutchinson.com/">Toi Hutchinson</a> and <a href="http://www.robinfortreasurer.com/">Robin Kelly.</a> I'll feign no pretense of objectivity here. I know them both personally, they are very smart women from my little part of the South Suburbs (South of I-80) who care deeply about their jobs in government and how government can help people. Sometimes I wonder if this isn't a novel concept in Illinois.<br /><br />For their belief that government can and should be used to help people who need its help, both are endangered in the upcoming elections. Here you have two accomplished black women who really believe in government as a force for helping people and they are swimming against the tide of anger that is out there. It's a lot easier to sell a message of fear right now than it is to hype Hope and Change.<br /><br />Robin Kelly is proud of the work that the Illinois Treasurer's office has done under her leadership (she's Chief of Staff to Illinois Treasurer <a href="http://alexiforillinois.com/">Alexi Giannoulias</a>). They returned the office to professionals, which meant that they kept the competent Republicans who were brought in by the previous (GOP) Treasurer. But this little bit of professionalism means that Robin's opponent has almost a direct line into what they've accomplished and what her campaign's message would be.<br /><br />You know, as long as she keeps it positive.<br /><br />Ah, the moral dilemma of being one of the good guys. Her opponent faces no such qualms. He works for a company that has numerous contracts with state government, and will do very well with one of its own in the Illinois cabinet. Which, no doubt, means that he'll personally profit from his election. Power and money, to boot! Who could want more?<br /><br />To an outsider, that's what is wrong with Illinois. I used to think that Illinois was just a *lot* more tolerant of corruption, but in the last year or so, it seems to me that Illinois actually prefers the corrupt. Maybe it's just that corrupt politicians are more predictable, leading to that all-important "stable" economic environment. I'm clueless why the electorate would go along with it, but that's Illinois. And we're different!<br /><br />I know I'm supposed to be proud of that. If I could just wrap my brain around it.<br /><br />Toi Hutchinson is an appointed state senator, replacing <a href="http://www.debbiehalvorson.com/">Debbie Halvorson,</a> which means she's facing the voters in her district for the first time. In a normal election cycle, we'd say that Toi had the same odds as a non-incumbent, 50-50. You'd be forgiven if you concluded that they are a little worse this year, given the state of the economy. All the challenges of being an incumbent in a "throw the bums out" election cycle with none of the advantages.<br /><br />Toi is proud of what she's been able to accomplish in her short term. The Illiana Expressway, which will bring jobs to her district. The re-writing of the law to insure that rape kits actually get tested.<br /><br />But these women stand for election not only in a piss-poor economic environment, but also standing up against the prevailing winds. You see, they believe in government, that government can be a force in our society FOR GOOD, and that government should act as a check and balance against the free market that isn't exactly particular about who profits from the invisible hand or why. Ok, I'm projecting on that last one. I *think* that they agree with me that government should serve as a greater check against the free market, but you'd have to ask them.<br /><br />Some people think I have radical views. Wouldn't want to project those on politicians I like.<br /><br />The thing is that they are pretty much standing alone. Oh, sure, there's Barack Obama, but that's not what I mean. What politicians are out there defending government, acting as if they believe that it can be a force for positive change in people's lives, not "the problem?"<br /><br />More to the point, who among us is arguing the same thing?<br /><br />Yep, people are angry, and they can't really count on too many people because we've been deceived into the idiom that "government is the problem, not the solution."<br /><br />The fact is that the free market won't start producing the "small business" jobs that everyone seems to be waiting for because banks are not really inclined to lend them money. Consumers are being more careful with their money, paying down their debts instead of starting up another widespread spending spree. Would-be entrepreneurs -- at least those who can't start off in their garages -- are thinking about if they want to risk exposure to such a crappy economy.<br /><br />And the one place that could be creating jobs right now? Oh, we don't want no damn government jobs, because that's just wrong. No one knows why (government salaries get spent, too, and spread far and wide into the economy). They just believe that it does.<br /><br />Now I'm interested in power. I don't worry too much about the wonky stuff, even in the areas I have some expertise in, because it's not nearly as interesting as *power.* I might be one of the few, because it seems to me that we Americans have no problem ceding power to the invisible hand, but we're almost paranoid about governments exercising power, even when it would make us all better off. That's just silly ideology deceiving us.<br /><br />As a student of power, I don't want the government to have too much, just as I don't want the market to have too much. But there doesn't seem much chance for the government to gain too much power, because of the knee-jerk response the electorate seems to have when even a little bit of power gets exercise. Like bailing out a crashing market. Or the housing bubble. Etc etc.<br /><br />But we don't have any trouble with the market exercising too much power. Bernie Madoff? Just an aberration (yeah, right). It's ok because every American wants to get rich. And if a few people (*gag*) get ripped off along the way, well, we take great comfort that the bastard's in jail. The fact that the market doesn't adjust itself -- let alone regulate itself -- is far too easy to ignore when everybody is doing it.<br /><br />Plus, what are drugs and alcohol for?<br /><br />Nope, better to be suspicious of the only country-wide institution that could actually help us out of this depression-like economy. Just because.<br /><br />This is a very powerful country and that power is based extensively on the massive free market economy that serves as its foundation. I understand that nothing that powerful ever wants to be checked, let alone balanced, but it's better for all of us if it is. Power should never be concentrated in one set of hands (no matter how many hands they actually are). No, power should be dispersed, not concentrated, and a powerful free market economy *demands* a powerful government that can regulate and right it. If an amoral force like our free market economy is left unfettered, than the Bernie Madoffs of the world have an open season on all of us. But that's not the point.<br /><br />The point is that voters are angry, and part of their anger is that they feel abandoned. The economy stinks and they think that there is no one there to help them out. Keynesians would argue that this is exactly when the government should be going all out to right the economic ship of state. But Keynesians soiled their argument by overspending during the years of plenty and not paying down the debts incurred during the years of want.<br /><br />Yep, voters are angry and we're just not taking their concerns seriously. I mean, COME ON! Tell me a single politician's plan for reviving the economy and creating jobs that is not only credible (seems like it could work) AND gets paid for at some point in time? Maybe I missed one.<br /><br />I have to say that I do get a kick, though, out of the people that keep demanding that Barack Obama get a backbone because at least he's making an effort at the argument. Yes, the president thinks government can be a force for Hope and Change in our country, he really does. But, in the end, he might be one of the few who does. And like Robin Kelly and Toi Hutchinson, he's standing against hurricane-force winds. The only way to withstand that force is to stand together. There aren't enough people, it seems to me, willing to join 'em.<br /><br />Voters have every reason to be angry at all of us. The easy answers have been tried. The one's that remain are real bitches. Just like FDR in the great depression, we got to start trying things and, when those fail, try some more. Except that FDR didn't have a sceptical electorate who had been "trained" to think of government as the problem. And that's where we got to start. Change starts by changing minds. It's really the only hope that good government types like Robin Kelly and Toi Hutchinson have.<br /><br />Tomorrow, Democrats want to knock on 200,000 doors across the country. Some of the canvassers are going to be in for a rude awakening. But, then, some people who open their doors to us will be, as well. But it's a conversation that we have to have. This is our moment. This is our time. And we *are* the change we've been waiting for. I heard that someplace...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-37684288157524385382010-08-04T09:53:00.005-05:002010-08-04T10:20:21.353-05:00Reflections on Growing Old<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nWUkHhYizpk&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nWUkHhYizpk&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />"The more things change, the more they stay the same." I don't know who said that, but it does seem that change is hard to come by. I suppose that depends on how we define change.<br /><br />I am the grandson of a Methodist minister (and proud that my brother took up the profession, because I always felt like I was expected go into the ministry -- until my mother corrected me decades later!) and the son of civil rights activists in Florida. My grandfather once said in a sermon that we were lucky enough to attend that "you change the world one heart at a time."<br /><br />I've never forgotten that. And I really believe that.<br /><br />Having fought for Hope and Change for two years starting in 2007, I won't ever forget the euphoria in electing the first black president in our history. And, despite the warnings from Barack Obama, many of us are disappointed at the progress -- or lack thereof -- that's been made.<br /><br />Change don't come easy. You change the world one heart at a time.<br /><br />It's a lifelong project. But I'm a baby boomer, and we want immediate gratification. Hell, it took years to mobilize people, to get them excited enough to take a chance -- to risk the country, even (according to some) -- to "get what we want."<br /><br />But nothing's changed. You change the world one heart at a time.<br /><br />I don't agree that nothing has changed. It seems to me that this president has been extraordinarily successful, pushing through major elements of his campaign agenda, tackling health care, Wall Street reform, instituting equal pay for women, beginning the drawdown of forces in Iraq, instituting transparency in the federal government, signing the stem-cell bill, rescuing the economy from the Bush recession, and working on climate change (and accepting it as a credible threat to the country). Our standing in the world has increased, and people can start to feel good about America again.<br /><br />But not everyone agrees. You change the world one heart at a time.<br /><br />I got into an argument this morning with someone here in Illinois, in part because I'm proud of the small part me and my family played in the civil rights movement in Florida. I can't pretend to understand the discrimination that others have felt because I've led an incredibly blessed life. I get how lucky I am. But that doesn't mean I don't understand how others have been effected.<br /><br />When I was a freshman in high school, we had race riots at my school. For a week that fall we had policeman around campus. Our coaches told us to stay out of it, and I suspect most of us did. But during that week, a cross was burned in the front lawn of one of my teammates and ended up damaging his home. I went to the varsity coach to tell him about it, expressing my concern. My (freshman) football coach was none too pleased, but that's life. The next day, the "cowboys," as we called them, beat up a football player, and our coaches told us to "end it." We did and the police left.<br /><br />I understand what it's like to fight for change. I can't claim to be a pacifist or a believer in non-violent solutions to all the world's ills, but I understand that violence should only be used as a last resort. More importantly, I understand that those who resist change can -- and have -- resort to violence a lot quicker than those who work for it. And it's not always appropriate to just stand by.<br /><br />During the Pennsylvania primaries, we had one African-American volunteer calling for Barack face two nasty barrages of racist rhetoric in one day. I'm convinced they didn't realize that she was black because I seriously doubt that you could have told from her voice. A nice Philly suburban housewife who lived in a pretty good neighborhood, she didn't deserve that. "This country isn't ready for a (black) president," one of the callers told her (using the pejorative for black).<br /><br />You change the world one heart at a time. It's a long frickin' process.<br /><br />I'm not sure I would have wished any of this upon Barack Obama. But, then, sometimes it takes a tectonic shift to rest people out of their slumber. I'd like to think that we were doing that, but it seems that the forces of good are exhausted, disappointed and uninterested. I've even heard one (black) Democratic party "leader" express greater disappointment in the president than you'd hear from Tea Party leaders, because he didn't immediately make everything better for black women.<br /><br />Man, that's a lot of expectations to carry while one is burdened with leading the country. But you change the world one heart at a time.<br /><br />Last night, I had another political activist call me a radical. "It's not necessarily a bad thing," he mentioned. Hadn't heard that since high school -- and it probably got me thinking about things. I guess I stand out, although I can't say I meant to. But I'm fairly certain I don't see myself the way others do. Thank god for my wife, who often interprets the world for me. (Only one reason why I adore her!)<br /><br />I tend to think of things on a continuum. Things don't always go the way we want, and generals like to say that all battle plans fail once contact with the enemy is made. It's the ability to adapt to a changing environment that makes one successful.<br /><br />The more things change, the more they stay the same. You change the world one heart at a time. It don't come easy. But it's worth the fight...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-52006654639242210482010-07-14T19:50:00.001-05:002010-08-01T19:53:40.841-05:00Robin Kelly's Opening Statement before Southland Chamber<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xrCDJm8rpAc&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xrCDJm8rpAc&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300511076309396636.post-59133774379342759732010-06-29T06:51:00.002-05:002010-06-29T07:06:22.468-05:00Changing the Subject: Mark Kirk May Answer Press QuestionsLike just about anybody who could possibly be considered an influence on public opinion (and you can be sure they defined that *very* broadly), I received a ***Media Advisory*** from Kirsten Kukowski last night at 6:13 PM. It declared:<br /><br /><blockquote>Kirk to Discuss U.S. Senate Race<br /><br />Congressman Mark Kirk will discuss the U.S. Senate race Tuesday, highlighting his vision for creating jobs, renewing economic growth and tackling the important issues facing our state.</blockquote><br />Given my frequent observation that Mark Kirk won't take questions from average voters, let alone the media, you'd think that I'd be all excited. You'd think.<br /><br />However, the press conference is not in Chicago, but in Northbrook, an area in which Kirk feels very comfortable. And this location limits the opportunity to those news organizations that can send a van or car out there. Press credentials are required, as determined by Kirsten Kukowski. The fact that I get all the Kirk campaign's releases (sadly, none from Alexi) doesn't allow me the opportunity to ask any questions.<br /><br />The big kicker: the press conference is being held two blocks from Kirk's office, and provides a quick getaway -- just in case the questions get too uncomfortable.<br /><br />Given the location, I suspect not too many journalists will show up. This will probably limit the number of questions Kirk answers, since Kirsten will pull her candidate if a journalist starts asking too many questions.<br /><br />So, although I was invited, they didn't really mean it. I guess I was just "informed." Nonetheless, here's some questions I'd want to ask if I had the opportunity:<br /><br />1. Why would you (Kirk) exaggerate about your solid military record?<br />2. What political activities were you (Kirk) engaged in while on (reserve) duty that the Pentagon felt the need to counsel you?<br />3. Why did you (Kirk) exaggerate your duty station during the Iraq war?<br />4. Why did you (Kirk) exaggerate your duty station at the Pentagon (war room)?<br />5. Why did you (Kirk) exaggerate (first) Iraq's threat, and (then) Iran's threat to its neighbors, including Israel?<br />6. Why did you (Kirk) exaggerate the intelligence on Iraq's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction?<br />6. Why did you (Kirk) exaggerate your college experience as a part-time nursery aide, claiming to be a teacher?<br /><br />Of course, there are other questions I'd like to ask Kirk:<br /><br />1. I'd like to ask about his unconditional support of Bush's selective (and distractive) invasion of Iraq<br />2. I'd want to ask about his defense of Rumsfeld's belief that Iraq was the center of al-Qaeda activity<br />3. I'd like to know more about his falling for Saddam Hussein's giant con that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction<br />4. I'd also like to ask about his comments about how the American government shouldn't be trusted while he was visiting abroad<br />5. I'd like to ask about his "micro-solutions" to so-called suburban issues that would expand the reach of government into our homes<br /><br />But, then, Mark Kirk would never answer these questions. He won't "lower" himself to answer questions from voters or the Illinois media in the capital, or downtown Chicago, or anywhere else other than his "home" or safe district. He can always duck out and run to his office (which is two blocks away).<br /><br />I get it. Mark Kirk needs to change the story. The fact that he's unavailable -- to the press or the electorate -- won't change with a *rare* press conference or public appearance. Kirk's "Rose Garden Strategy" is attractive, as long as no one notices that you won't leave your safe place and mingle with the "small" people. But everyone's noticed. Republicans are now awaiting Mark Kirk's second act. Democrats are licking their chops...bored nowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14579125066653569367noreply@blogger.com0