Wasn't it great when we had a middle class?
Luckily, there' s a new museum that's opened.
Read this article here.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Sunday, November 07, 2004
DeKalb County Board 12-12 D-R. Who is the chair?
Interesting bit from the Os-Blog: the 24-member DeKalb County Board elected 12 Democrats and 12 Republicans. The membership has to pick the Chair of the Board. There is no tie-breaker. I wonder how that will play out.
Obama replacement is Kwame Raoul, not Will Burns
In a surprising move, the Democratic ward committeemen (and women) from the 13th legislative district (led by 4th ward alderman Toni Preckwinkle and 5th ward alderman Leslie Hairston who together cast a majority of the votes) chose attorney Kwame Raoul over seven other candidates, including Will Burns, senior staffer to Senate President Emil Jones.
The news stories are here and here.
I thought Will would be the best candidate, as he is a policy-oriented guy, and the best service a state legislator can give to his or her constituents (in my view) is to pass progressive legislation that benefits everyone in the state. The aldermen were quoted in the papers as citing Raoul's ward organization work as the motivating factor for his selection, which is not the main benefit a state legislator can bring to his or her constituents. If that's the main factor driving their choice, that's a mistake. I hope Raoul will rise to the challenge and fill Obama's large shoes as much as possible. If we want Blue America to raise the standard of living for people, we need the very best legislators available to push the policy envelope.
Raoul is an attorney with the City Colleges of Chicago, so it's a good thing the strike was called off this weekend, as he has quit that job to be a full time state senator.
Some of the posters painted Raoul as sort of the 'people's choice' and Burns as part of 'President Jones' Empire', since President Jones endorsed Burns. I don't really get the hostility to President Jones, so if any of the posters could enlighten me as to what motivates those views, I'd appreciate it.
UPDATE (February 1, 2008): Fast forward four years or so. Senator Raoul has emerged as a progressive leader in the Senate, pushing forward policy proposals. Will Burns continued to work for the Senate, and now with the active encouragement of Senator Raoul, Will is a candidate for State Representative in the same district. The two rivals have joined together as policy-oriented progressives. With the third state representative as House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, the district would have the trifecta of some of the best legislators in the state.
Will's campaign website, for those looking, is here and Kwame Raoul's campaign website is here.
The news stories are here and here.
I thought Will would be the best candidate, as he is a policy-oriented guy, and the best service a state legislator can give to his or her constituents (in my view) is to pass progressive legislation that benefits everyone in the state. The aldermen were quoted in the papers as citing Raoul's ward organization work as the motivating factor for his selection, which is not the main benefit a state legislator can bring to his or her constituents. If that's the main factor driving their choice, that's a mistake. I hope Raoul will rise to the challenge and fill Obama's large shoes as much as possible. If we want Blue America to raise the standard of living for people, we need the very best legislators available to push the policy envelope.
Raoul is an attorney with the City Colleges of Chicago, so it's a good thing the strike was called off this weekend, as he has quit that job to be a full time state senator.
Some of the posters painted Raoul as sort of the 'people's choice' and Burns as part of 'President Jones' Empire', since President Jones endorsed Burns. I don't really get the hostility to President Jones, so if any of the posters could enlighten me as to what motivates those views, I'd appreciate it.
UPDATE (February 1, 2008): Fast forward four years or so. Senator Raoul has emerged as a progressive leader in the Senate, pushing forward policy proposals. Will Burns continued to work for the Senate, and now with the active encouragement of Senator Raoul, Will is a candidate for State Representative in the same district. The two rivals have joined together as policy-oriented progressives. With the third state representative as House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, the district would have the trifecta of some of the best legislators in the state.
Will's campaign website, for those looking, is here and Kwame Raoul's campaign website is here.
Governor Blagojevich and the filthy coal power plants -- an election day wrinkle
As regular readers know, the State of Illinois (not to mention the federal government) permits a few very profitable companies to run about a dozen coal-burning power plants without using modern pollution control equipment that every newly-constructed power plants must install. It's like letting old cars on the road that still use leaded gasoline.
On Election Day, the precinct where Governor Blagojevich votes had an advisory referendum asking whether the State should require modern pollution control equipment on all power plants, including those old, filthy coal power plants.
It passed with something like 90% of the vote.
I wonder how Governor Blagojevich voted on it? Will some mainstream reporter ask him?
Here is an account from Ira Shakman, a pollwatcher and petition circulator for the effort.
On Election Day, the precinct where Governor Blagojevich votes had an advisory referendum asking whether the State should require modern pollution control equipment on all power plants, including those old, filthy coal power plants.
It passed with something like 90% of the vote.
I wonder how Governor Blagojevich voted on it? Will some mainstream reporter ask him?
Here is an account from Ira Shakman, a pollwatcher and petition circulator for the effort.
On November 2, one ballot booth in Governor Blagojevich’s precinct was missing an advisory referendum addressed to him. A more than sufficient number of his precinct neighbor’s signed a petition to have a vote on this question: “Shall Governor Blagojevich direct the State to establish safeguards that require the two aging metropolitan Chicago coal-burning power plants to reduce their dangerous emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury by at least 90 percent from 1999 levels by no later than 2009, in order for the region to meet the deadline for federal air quality standards?” If not for a poll watcher, his precinct's election judges may have led Governor Blagojevich to the booth with a deficient ballot and he would not have had to see it that day. Every other day the Governor certainly appears to be ignoring the two 'grandfathered' plants, the biggest industrial air polluters in Chicago, found in the Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods. In February, 2003, nearly 90% of the neighbors surrounding the plants voted for the city to impose mandatory emission caps on the plants by 2006. The city fathers have yet to act upon their request. When running for office, Governor Blagojevich promised to enact strict state-imposed safeguards on all of Illinois' 23 coal-fired power plants. He has yet to act upon his promise and the plants remain regulated under lax federal standards at the mercy of the Bush administration. On November 2, 2004, 91% of Governor Blagojevich’s precinct neighbors in Chicago, residing well out of sight from the hundreds of feet high smokestacks but, along with their kids, well within the range of the toxic emissions, voted for him to do what he promised and impose modern safeguards on the plants. The emissions from coal-fired power plants are proven to cause health problems for young and old, such as asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer and heart attacks, beside neurological damage from their completely unregulated mercury emissions. Chicago’s air fails to meet minimum federal standards. Kids and expectant mothers are warned against eating fish caught in Illinois' lakes and rivers because of the dangers of mercury poisoning. Ultimately, it does not much matter whether the Governor looked at his own neighbor's advisory referendum on Chicago's coal-fired power plants. What matters is whether he will turn the same blind eye toward the toxic emissions from Chicago’s grandfathered coal-fired power plants as have the city fathers for all of these years.
Anyone who wishes to be heard on the issue may call Governor Blagojevich at his Chicago office at (312)814-2121.
Ira Shakman
What to do now? Make Blue American a better place to live
With the bad guys running D.C., what are we supposed to do?
Head to Springfield.
And City Hall.
And the County Building.
Make our Blue Illinois and Blue Cook County and Blue Chicago a better place to live with higher living standards than Red places.
Tim McFeeley of the Center for Policy Alternatives has a good column here arguing that progressives should make invest in state governments much more.
The Center for Policy Alternatives has a conference in December in D.C. on cutting-edge state legislation. I've decided to go to get some good ideas for the 2005 session. Anyone else want to go?
I'm headed to Springfield tomorrow morning, and I hope more people will start calling their state legislators and (even better) trying to help them pass better legislation.
How about indexing our minimum wage?
How about 5,000 more slots in the state's higher education system?
How about buying catastrphic health insurance for everyone through the state?
How about forcing the companies making money off our filthy coal power plants that give the rest of us lung problems and kill some old people to install modern, efficient pollution control equipment?
How about hiring more and better teachers for the kids who need it most?
Our state and local governments can deliver on all of this. So let's put more energy into the rest of our governments and not focus exclusively on the federal government.
Head to Springfield.
And City Hall.
And the County Building.
Make our Blue Illinois and Blue Cook County and Blue Chicago a better place to live with higher living standards than Red places.
Tim McFeeley of the Center for Policy Alternatives has a good column here arguing that progressives should make invest in state governments much more.
The Center for Policy Alternatives has a conference in December in D.C. on cutting-edge state legislation. I've decided to go to get some good ideas for the 2005 session. Anyone else want to go?
I'm headed to Springfield tomorrow morning, and I hope more people will start calling their state legislators and (even better) trying to help them pass better legislation.
How about indexing our minimum wage?
How about 5,000 more slots in the state's higher education system?
How about buying catastrphic health insurance for everyone through the state?
How about forcing the companies making money off our filthy coal power plants that give the rest of us lung problems and kill some old people to install modern, efficient pollution control equipment?
How about hiring more and better teachers for the kids who need it most?
Our state and local governments can deliver on all of this. So let's put more energy into the rest of our governments and not focus exclusively on the federal government.
Friday, November 05, 2004
The Cross bloggers are trying to skip out on a bet. The shame.
Well, this is just unacceptable.
So back in September here, I bet the Tom Cross bloggers a dollar (if it's legal to do so) that Jack Franks would beat Perry Moy. Now, after Franks resounding victory, I see this nonsense on the Cross blog on Election Day:
This is a fight to the finish. My money's on Beth. Dan's money is on Bromberg.
---
Can you believe it? They try to pin me as betting on Bromberg beating Coulson instead of Franks beating Moy! Chris Rhodes, I'm going to out your real identity if you don't publish a correction and as punishment, force you to pay up that dollar by donating it to the DNC. Or better yet, Friends of Michael Madigan. Don't start to get a big head just because you won Blogger Bowl II. . . .
UPDATE: All is good in BlogLand. The King of Blogger Bowl II has retracted here on JoinCross. Thanks Chris.
So back in September here, I bet the Tom Cross bloggers a dollar (if it's legal to do so) that Jack Franks would beat Perry Moy. Now, after Franks resounding victory, I see this nonsense on the Cross blog on Election Day:
Dems and Repubs both agree that GOP Rep. Beth Coulson had great turnout in her base of Northfield Township and Glenview.
This is a fight to the finish. My money's on Beth. Dan's money is on Bromberg.
---
Can you believe it? They try to pin me as betting on Bromberg beating Coulson instead of Franks beating Moy! Chris Rhodes, I'm going to out your real identity if you don't publish a correction and as punishment, force you to pay up that dollar by donating it to the DNC. Or better yet, Friends of Michael Madigan. Don't start to get a big head just because you won Blogger Bowl II. . . .
UPDATE: All is good in BlogLand. The King of Blogger Bowl II has retracted here on JoinCross. Thanks Chris.
Texas remap gave GOP the House gain
How did the GOP gain seats in the House?
Texas.
That's all.
Today, the 32-member delegation from Texas is evenly split, 16 to 16.
In January, it will be move to a 21-11 split.
Wow. Some mandate. It's a new map!
Why hasn't Illinois redrawn our congressional map (currently 9-10 in favor of the Republicans, soon to be 10-9 for the Dems because of Melissa Bean)? If for no other reason than to goad the Supreme Court into striking down both our new map and the Texas remap to put us on neutral ground.
Texas.
That's all.
Today, the 32-member delegation from Texas is evenly split, 16 to 16.
In January, it will be move to a 21-11 split.
Wow. Some mandate. It's a new map!
Why hasn't Illinois redrawn our congressional map (currently 9-10 in favor of the Republicans, soon to be 10-9 for the Dems because of Melissa Bean)? If for no other reason than to goad the Supreme Court into striking down both our new map and the Texas remap to put us on neutral ground.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Dick Durbin for Minority Leader
He'd be a lot better than Reid. Durbin's better at framing issues than Reid. We don't need some consensus builder. We don't need to move to the center. We need to stand for something that people can believe in.
Like Paul Simon. Or Barack Obama.
Dick Durbin is a solid progressive, who is very shrewd about how he communicates his positions. He makes non-newspaper-readers feel that a very liberal position is common sense and reasonable. That's the global test (ha ha) that Democratic spokespeople need to pass. It is not whether they can find common ground or seek consensus (which is what Daschle did). *Especially* when the Senate minority is the only thing standing in the way of the Wall Street looting of our public pension and all the rest (oh, so much more in the next very long two years).
We need a tough, smart, aggressive leader of the Loyal Opposition.
Reid isn't it. Durbin is.
But here's one bad thing: I understand that the current Senate caucus will pick the Minority Leader, and not the newly elected Senate Dem caucus. In other words, Barack doesn't get a vote. Can that be true? Someone, educate me.
UPDATE: Looks like this has been settled with Reid as Minority Leader (ugh) and Durbin as Whip (not as good, but good enough).
Like Paul Simon. Or Barack Obama.
Dick Durbin is a solid progressive, who is very shrewd about how he communicates his positions. He makes non-newspaper-readers feel that a very liberal position is common sense and reasonable. That's the global test (ha ha) that Democratic spokespeople need to pass. It is not whether they can find common ground or seek consensus (which is what Daschle did). *Especially* when the Senate minority is the only thing standing in the way of the Wall Street looting of our public pension and all the rest (oh, so much more in the next very long two years).
We need a tough, smart, aggressive leader of the Loyal Opposition.
Reid isn't it. Durbin is.
But here's one bad thing: I understand that the current Senate caucus will pick the Minority Leader, and not the newly elected Senate Dem caucus. In other words, Barack doesn't get a vote. Can that be true? Someone, educate me.
UPDATE: Looks like this has been settled with Reid as Minority Leader (ugh) and Durbin as Whip (not as good, but good enough).
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
The GOP built a majority the way Anton Cermak did in Chicago. A referendum.
Anton Cermak built the Chicago Democratic Organization -- a mix of rival ethnic groups still loyal to Republicans -- by putting referenda on the city ballot every mayoral election, asking voters if they supported a repeal of Prohibition. And the Irish, the Polish, the Czechs, the Italians, they all shared the same cultural background in resenting the Protestant imposition of Prohibition on their way of life. So they came out to vote in droves, often triggered by the referendum, and voted in the Democratic Mayor Cermak.
The Republicans did something similar this time with 11 (11!) statewide referenda on gay marriage and gay civil unions. And all 11 of them won (meaning they prohibited either marriage of civil unions for gays). And they all brought people out that almost certainly voted for Bush.
We liberals tried something similar, as we had two statewide referenda raising the minimum wage to $6 and change, and indexed those to inflation, on the Florida and Nevada ballots. They likely brought out some Democratic voters, but even better, they both passed. So a majority of voters in both Florida and Nevada decided they wanted to raise the minimum wage and they wanted Bush to serve another four years. A touch of cognitive dissonance.
The Republicans did something similar this time with 11 (11!) statewide referenda on gay marriage and gay civil unions. And all 11 of them won (meaning they prohibited either marriage of civil unions for gays). And they all brought people out that almost certainly voted for Bush.
We liberals tried something similar, as we had two statewide referenda raising the minimum wage to $6 and change, and indexed those to inflation, on the Florida and Nevada ballots. They likely brought out some Democratic voters, but even better, they both passed. So a majority of voters in both Florida and Nevada decided they wanted to raise the minimum wage and they wanted Bush to serve another four years. A touch of cognitive dissonance.
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